1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handles that are connected by one or more cables to a force-resisting member of a body building, physical fitness or physical rehabilitation exercising machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional body building machines are widely utilized for building and maintaining many different muscles of a person""s body through physical exercise. Most of these exercise devices include one or more cables that are attached to weights, resiliently deflectable members, or other structures that offer resistence to the forces that a person exerts by pulling on the cable or cables.
One such exercise machine is described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,961, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this and other exercise machines, one end of a cable or a plurality of cables is attached to a load to be overcome, and the other, free end is connected to some sort of handle that a user grips in his or her hand to exert a force to place the cable in tension, and thereby stress, exercise, and build up various muscles by pulling on the cable.
The handles employed in exerting tension on a cable of an exercise machine are quite important, since they affect the manner in which the muscles of a person""s body are stressed in applying force on the cable or cables of an exercise machine. The handles should be configured so that the exercise machine may be utilized to exercise a different muscle groups in the body by applying forces to place the cable in tension in many different ways. While some handles are suitable for performing certain exercises, they are often inappropriate for performing other exercises, since they are configured in such a way as to cause the user pain or are merely ineffective in performing certain exercises.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,961 I disclosed an exercise machine handle that employs a hollow, tubular rod formed into a generally xe2x80x9cJ-shapedxe2x80x9d configuration formed of a series of straight, linear segments and in which an eye-bolt is provided near the distal extremity of the tubular rod for coupling to the cable. While this handle is quite satisfactory for many exercises, I have since discovered that it has certain shortcomings. More specifically, I have discovered that the linear, segmented J-shaped handles of my prior U.S. Patent, when utilized to perform certain exercises, do not activate the muscles of the user as precisely as desired. Also, I have discovered that the utilization of these handles can cause pain to a user in the performance of certain exercises. In addition, I have discovered that the eye-bolts near the distal extremities of the tubular rods cause the S-shaped coupling links that are employed as connections to the cables can become bunched up between the handles and the cables to which they are attached and thereby distort the application of forces which certain exercises are designed to achieve.
The present invention provides a uniquely configured handle for an exercise machine that remedies the foregoing shortcomings of prior exercise machine handles and which is far more versatile than exercise machine handles that have heretofore existed. The exercise machine handle of the present invention has features that allow it to be utilized in a wide variety of different exercises without causing pain to the user and while consistently maintaining a straight, linear force on the exercise machine cable to which the handle is connected. A handle constructed according to the present invention may to be used with an exercise machine to successfully build and strengthen numerous muscles and muscle groups within the body without introducing pain or soreness. This has heretofore not been possible with other conventional exercise machine handles.
In one broad aspect the present invention may be considered to be a handle for use with a physical exercising machine that has a cable attached to a force-resisting element. The handle of the invention is comprised of a tubular handgrip of a length and circumference suitable for grasping by the hand of a user, a solid, rigid rod that is configured to form: a straight, cylindrical grip attachment portion mounted for rotation within the handgrip and constrained from longitudinal movement relative to the handgrip; a straight, proximal portion, located adjacent the grip attachment portion and oriented at a first acute angle of between about fifteen degrees and about forty-five degrees relative to the grip attachment portion, considered in a first plane of reference containing the grip attachment portion, and oriented at a second acute angle of between about twenty degrees and about thirty degrees relative to the grip attachment portion, considered in a second plane of reference containing the grip attachment portion and perpendicular to the first plane of reference; an intermediate curved portion in substantially coplanar relationship with the straight, proximal portion and bent in a curved arc covering more than about sixty degrees and less than about ninety degrees; and a straight, distal portion residing in substantially coplanar relationship with the intermediate portion; and a cable coupling mounted for omnidirectional rotational movement relative to the distal portion of the rod. The straight, distal portion preferably has a length of between about two and about three inches and an omnidirectional coupling is preferably located at a distance of between about two inches and about three inches from the intermediate portion of the rod.
In the preferred embodiment of the broad aspect of the handle defined above, the first acute angle is about twenty-five degrees, the second, acute angle is about thirty degrees, and the curved arc is a circular arc of about seventy-five degrees formed at a radius of about one and eight-tenths inches. The solid, rigid rod is preferably formed of steel about three-eighths of an seventy-five and a half degrees in diameter. The solid steel rod is preferably formed from a single length of cylindrical stock that is bent to form the first and second acute angles and the arc of the intermediate portion located therebetween. The rod is preferably about eleven and a half inches in overall length. The handle is preferably cylindrical in shape throughout most of its length and between about five and a half inches and about seven inches in length overall, and between about three and a half inches and five inches in circumference.
The omnidirectional cable coupling is preferably a ball and socket joint. In this connection the cable coupling may include a steel end cap on the extremity of the straight, distal portion of the rigid rod. A socket is defined radially into the end cap. A cable-linking stud pin having opposing ends is utilized as the other element of the cable coupling. The stud pin is formed with a ball on one end and a cable connection on the other end. The ball is permanently set in the socket and is free to pivot relative thereto.
The ball may be set in the socket by elevating the temperature of the end cap so that the radial socket opening enlarges sufficiently to receive the ball on the end of the linking stud pin therein. The metal of the end cap may be deformed around the radial socket opening to aid in capturing the ball within the hollow socket. Once the end cap cools, the material of which it is formed shrinks enough so that the ball cannot be pulled back out of the socket opening. The ball is thereby permanently set in the socket, but is free to pivot and swivel relative thereto.
For many exercises, the handles of the invention are utilized in pairs. The construction of each handle in a pair of handles is identical to that previously described. However, the solid, rigid rods in the pair of handles are configured in the mirror image of each other. That is, the second acute angle at which the straight, proximal portions are oriented relative to their respective straight grip attachment portions is such that the straight, proximal portions extend in opposite directions from each other at the second angle, considered in the second plane of reference.
In another broad aspect, the invention may be considered to be a pair of handles for use with a body building machine that employs at least one cable attached to a force-resisting element. Each of the handles in the pair of handles is comprised of: a tubular handgrip of a length and circumference suitable for grasping by the hand of a user; a solid, rigid rod mounted for rotation within the handgrip and constrained from longitudinal movement relative thereto; and a cable coupling near the end of the rod mounted for omnidirectional rotational movement relative thereto.
The solid rod of each handgrip is configured to form a straight, cylindrical grip attachment portion that is mounted within the tubular handgrip for complete rotation therewithin, but constrained longitudinally. The rigid rod of each hand grip is also configured to form a straight, proximal portion located adjacent the grip attachment portion. This proximal portion is oriented at a first acute angle of between about fifteen degrees and about forty-five degrees relative to the grip attachment portion, considered in a first plane of reference containing the grip attachment portion. This straight, proximal portion is also oriented at a second acute angle of between about twenty degrees and about thirty degrees relative to the grip attachment portion, considered in a second plane of reference containing the grip attachment portion. The second plane of reference is perpendicular to the first plane of reference.
The rod of each handle is further configured to form an intermediate curved portion that resides in substantially coplanar relationship with the straight, proximal portion. The intermediate portion is bent in a curved arc covering more than about sixty degrees and less than about ninety degrees. The solid rod of each handle is further configured to form a straight, distal portion residing in substantially coplanar relationship with the intermediate portion, and preferably has a length of between about two and three inches. The cable coupling is mounted for omnidirectional swiveling movement relative to the distal portion of each rod. The cable coupling for each rod is preferably mounted at a distance of between two and three inches from the intermediate portion.
To achieve a matched set of handles in which the solid rods are configured in a mirror image relative to each other, the straight, proximal portions of the pair of handles are oriented relative to their respective grip attachment portions such that they extend at the first acute angle in opposite directions from each other, considered in the first plane of reference. Handles configured in this manner may be used together in four basic alternative positions.
Since the rods of the two handles are bent identically to each other, except for the reverse bends of the second acute angle, considered in the second plane of reference, it is advisable for the handles in a pair of handles to be visually distinguishable from each other. To this end, the handles may be color coded or provided with some surface differentiation on the tubular handgrips. This allows the handles in each pair may be readily distinguished from each other so that they may be easily and interchangeably be switched to any of the four basic alternative positions of use.
The pair of handles of the invention may also be described in a different manner. Specifically, in another aspect the invention may be considered to be a pair of handles for attachment to a cable connected to a force-resisting member in an exercising apparatus. Each handle is comprised of a tubular grip, a solid rigid rod, and an omnidirectional coupling. The tubular grip is of a length and circumference sufficient to accommodate the grasp of the hand of a user. The tubular grip has a straight, longitudinal, cylindrical opening therewithin.
The solid rigid rod is configured to delineate along its length a straight, cylindrical grip attachment portion, a straight, proximal portion, a curved, intermediate portion, and a straight, distal portion. The grip attachment portion delineates a linear axis of grip alignment. The grip attachment portion is mounted for rotation within the cylindrical opening in the grip and is restricted from longitudinal movement relative thereto. The straight, proximal portion of the rigid rod of each handle is inclined relative to the grip attachment portion at a first acute angle, considered in a first plane containing the axis of grip alignment. This first proximal portion is also inclined at a second acute angle relative to the grip attachment portion, considered in a second plane containing the axis of grip alignment in which the second plane also contains the axis of grip alignment. The second reference plane is oriented perpendicular to the first plane. The first acute angle is between about fifteen degrees and about forty-five degrees. The second acute angle is between about twenty degrees and about thirty degrees.
The rods of the pair of handles are each configured to form an intermediate portion extending from the straight, proximal portion and residing in substantially coplanar relationship therewith. The intermediate portion is curved in an arc from the straight, proximal portion and in the same direction as the second acute angle, considered in the second plane. The straight, distal portion is preferably between about two and three inches in length. The straight, distal portion extends from the intermediate portion and resides in substantially coplanar relationship therewith. The proximal, straight portion and the distal, straight portion reside at a third acute angle of greater than about sixty degrees and less than about ninety degrees, considered in the first reference plane. The omnidirectional coupling of each handle is provided at the distal, straight portion thereof. The second angles at which the straight, proximal portions are oriented relative to their respective grip attachment portions, considered in the second plane, are equal and in opposite directions from each other.